European journal of pain : EJP
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Pain self-management training increases self-efficacy, self-management behaviours and pain and depression outcomes.
Self-management practices among patients with medical and psychiatric comorbidity is not well understood. We assessed the effects of a combined pharmacological and behavioural intervention on self-efficacy to manage symptoms and self-management behaviours in patients with pain and comorbid depression. ⋯ A combined intervention increased patient self-management behaviours and self-efficacy to manage symptoms among primary care patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression. Receipt of the full dose of the entire PSM programme was related to improvements in pain interference and depression severity. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: A nurse-led six-session PSM programme increased self-efficacy as well as specific behaviours such as strengthening and stretching exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and visualization. There was a dose-response in that attending a greater proportion of the PSM sessions led to greater improvement in both pain and depression outcomes.